Christmas to Remember
by Vodka Martini
Summary: Going to be a Christmas drabble, obviously. Jenny's having a long day, and she's not feeling very festive.
1. Chapter 1

A.N. Okay guys, this is my Christmas NCIS fic. I'm in the Christmas spirit, and I've been listening to Christmas music all day, so this is the first instalment. It's also the best way I could find to procrastinate instead of doing the huge assignment that I have due in my Anthro class tomorrow. SO if I still can't force myself to do the project, you might get another update later tonight. Haha. Of course, I don't own any of the characters, and no copyright infringement is intended.

NCIS Director Jenny Sheppard was sitting behind her desk reading over case files that had to be signed and submitted to the proper authorities. Again. Or was it still? She couldn't tell. All she knew was that for the past few days she'd barely left her office and had spent the vast majority of her time at work in this very room, looking back and forth between paper printouts and her computer screen. Rather than going home the night before, she had grabbed a few hours of sleep on the sofa in the office so she would be in the building to oversee a special tactical operation going on in Serbia from MTAC. It had gone flawlessly, and she hadn't had to do a single thing besides cross another picture off of the NCIS "Most Wanted" wall.

She grinned ruefully when she considered what she must look like right now. Her long red hair, which had been straightened and loose the day before, was pulled haphazardly into a loose ponytail that fell down her back. She was wearing the same pant suit as the day before, although it was slightly more wrinkled and the jacket was currently slung over the back of the sofa. To top it off, she had no makeup on, unless you counted the remnants of yesterday's mascara. She was perched on the edge of her seat, her shoes under the desk, and one foot tucked underneath her. All in all, she looked more like a graduate student pulling an all-nighter than the director of a federal agency.

She yawned and stretched, kneading one particularly stubborn muscle at the base of her neck. She should get home and get a real night sleep, but considering that it was only...she glanced at her watch...only 6:37, she would try to tough it out for another couple of hours. She pulled up her left leg to join her right, and positioned herself so that she was sitting cross-legged before she grabbed another case file off of the never-ending stack in her inbox. She had just begun to skim the preliminary report when there was a knock at her door. Her brow furrowed in confusion before she remembered that her assistant, Cynthia, was taking a week off in order to spend the holidays with her family in Nebraska.

"Come on in!" she called, slipping her feet into her shoes again lest someone catch her looking so unprofessional. As soon as she saw who entered the office she realised the futility of that small effort.

"Jen," her visitor said, by way of a greeting. He had a bag in his hand, which she realised was probably soon to be her dinner. Her stomach grumbled in anticipation, and she realised that she hadn't eaten all day.

"Jethro," she responded warily. She had no reason to be suspicious of him, but she couldn't help but wonder at his ulterior motives when he pulled something like this. "You knocked."

"Yeah well, Merry Christmas," he said without meeting her eyes, pulling to-go containers out of the bag and setting them on the coffee table in front of the sofa and chair. That chair certainly looked more comfortable than the one she was currently residing in, so she picked herself up and crossed the room, folding herself into the plush seat.

"Today isn't Christmas," she stated, simply.

"Well it's better than you'll get if you wait for tomorrow."

She snorted softly. She had no doubt that her Christmas day would be spent in her office chair, much like today. Maybe there would be few enough people at the office that she could spend the day in track pants, or at least jeans.

"Why did you bring me dinner?" she asked him, although she eagerly took the plate that he offered her. Turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, and asparagus; how festive.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, even as he watched her dig into her potatoes as though she would never get another meal.

"Very. But also curious," she answered between mouthfuls. Her eyes followed him as he got up off the couch and crossed to her liquor cabinet, pouring two glasses of her best bourbon. For once, she didn't mind. He set her glass on the table in front of her; on a coaster, she noticed with half a smile, and cradled his own.

"It's Christmas, Jen," he answered. She met his eyes over her glass as she took a sip of the deliciously smooth liquid. At four hundred dollars a bottle, this bourbon wasn't a luxury she usually indulged in; her practical side usually winning out over her cravings. But hell, it WAS Christmas.

"Christmas Eve," she reminded softly. "Do you have any plans?"

"For tonight?" he asked, "Or tomorrow?"

"Either," she answered. He gave her a long look, but she met his eyes, unblinking. She finally looked back to her plate and tried to scoop up the last of the gravy with her last mouthful of turkey. Gibbs' eyes narrowed for a split second before he reached back into the brown bag and came back with a dinner roll, handing it to her. She smiled at him and broke it to scoop up the rest of the gravy.

"Abby asked me to go out to Christian's tonight. I guess the team is going out for a little holiday cheer together. She told me to ask you as well," he finally answered her question.

"Are you going?" she asked, so stunned that she actually stopped eating to look at him in curiosity.

"No," he answered, giving her a look as though that answer should have been obvious before finishing his own meal and putting the used plate back into the bag. That was one nice thing about him bringing her meals; no preparation and no clean up.

"I'll go if you go," she challenged. His piercing blue eyes met hers, searching for her motivations.

"You should go anyway, Jen. You should do something fun. You look awful."

"Always so charming," she said, rolling her eyes and taking another deep sip of her drink.

"You know what I mean," he responded. And she did. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, finishing their drinks and enjoying the company that neither would admit they missed. She watched him silently as he collected the remnants of her meal and stood to leave.

"Thank you, Jethro," she said, "For dinner."

He grunted a response as he tossed the bag into her trash can. "Get your coat."

"What?" she asked, confused. "Why?"

"I'm taking you home to shower and put on something nice, and then we're going to go spend Christmas Eve being social," he demanded. The way he said it hardly left room for debate.

"With each other?" she asked in mock horror, keeping a straight face.

"If necessary," he responded, equally serious. She sighed audibly, causing him to raise an eyebrow before she grinned and stood.

"If you say so." She was secretly glad of the interruption, and happy that he'd changed his mind and was insisting she come with him tonight. Not that she'd taken a lot of convincing.

A.N. Please review! I promise it will get more festive in the next chapter. I look forward to hearing how far ya'll think I should go with this! Love you guys!


	2. Chapter 2

"I'll be back in 45 minutes," Gibbs said, pulling to a stop in front of Jenny's house. Rather than wait for a car to take her home, she had reluctantly agreed to allow him to drive her. She nodded absently, having lost all energy and motivation when she walked out of the building and the last three days had begun to catch up to her. She was tired, but what she wanted most was a shower before she curled up into her warm, comfortable bed and went to sleep. On the way over she had decided that she and her bed spent entirely too little time together. She closed his car door behind her and hurried up the walk; her suit jacket from the night before an insufficient barrier between her and the cold wind. She pulled her keys from her pocket and unlocked the front door, smiling to herself when she noticed her ever-watchful Gibbs making sure that she got inside before he drove off.

She stepped successfully into her front hall, refusing to glance back at the car on the street before closing the door, throwing her jacket over the banister and heading up the stairs. Her entire outfit went straight into the laundry hamper as she allowed the water to warm in the shower, stepping inside. As she revelled in the warmth and the pounding water over her stiff muscles, she decided that she was going to have a good time that night. After all, it was Christmas Eve!

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Forty-five minutes later, Jethro eased open her front door and stepped into the hall. He had changed into a pair of black dress pants and a red button-up shirt. It was the most festive thing that he owned, and if he was going to do this Christmas thing, he might as well do it right. But if anyone even suggested one of those ridiculous Santa hats, he would have to take out his gun and shoot them between the eyes.

"Jen!" he called, a slight echo sounding through the large, empty house. As he surveyed the open space, he decided that she must really get lonely all by herself in such a big place; especially without a boat in her basement. Then again, he realised, she didn't spend a whole lot of time at home anyway. Her office was fast becoming her primary residence. He opened his mouth to call her again when he was cut off by the sound of heels on a hard floor, and he looked up to see her coming down the large staircase in her main entrance.

"Right here, Jethro," came her soft voice, and he hid his smile as he watched her slow decent. She wore a black pencil skirt and a fitted satin tee the colour of an evergreen tree. Her long red hair, admittedly his favourite of her list of fantastic features, was loose and fell in soft curls. She looked fantastic.

"You look good, Jen," he admitted, considering just how vast that understatement had been. What he wanted most at that moment was to forget about their plans and spend the evening getting reacquainted. But whether that was due to his true feelings for her or just a result of the stunning visual, he couldn't be sure. She rewarded his compliment with a stunning smile, complete with a soft blush. He opened the hall closet door and took a soft black wool pea coat from the closet, helping her into it.

"Thank you," she said softly, turning around again and meeting his eyes.

"No problem," he said softly, doing up the three buttons up the length of the jacket. For a moment they stood where they were, him still holding onto her lapels with his fingertips. Finally, he tore his eyes away from her neckline to meet her eyes, and whispered "Ready to go?"

"Yes," she whispered, her breath catching in her throat as she saw his eyes wander over her chest. She mentally kicked herself for the feelings threatening to wash over her. Reluctantly, he pulled away, offering her his arm, which she took easily, allowing him to lead her back out to the car.

A/N: Okay, I know, this chapter is WAY overdue...but I'm hoping to get the story finished by THIS Christmas!! Thanks aserene for the motivational kick in the pants!! :D Love you guys!


	3. Chapter 3

Jenny couldn't help but smile as she and Gibbs walked, arm in arm, into the crowded bar room. It had been years since she had felt this much Christmas spirit, and she resolved to thank Jethro for dragging her along – not that she'd taken a whole lot of convincing. The room was all decked out for the season, and despite the bar's reputation as a more up-scale destination they weren't above garlands and lights. Evergreen garlands graced the walls along the wooden crown moulding, tied with big red velvet bows every few feet. Gold tinsel and a string of white Christmas lights adorned the bar itself, behind which a 30-something bartender in a black shirt and trousers proudly sported a Santa hat. Tables, which were clothed in gold coloured clothes and accented each with a poinsettia, were concentrated near the walls and pulled back from the dark-stained hardwood dance floor, which a few couples were taking advantage of and dancing to the rhythm of the band in the corner, happily playing Christmas tunes. The most prominent feature in the room, however, was a live tree, at least ten feet tall, which stood in one corner. White lights, gold ribbon, and red balls adorned its branches, along with a sparkling fold star that topped the tree. Jenny felt a surge of giddiness well up inside her that took her back to Christmas ever nights of her childhood. Every Christmas Eve she and her parents would gather around a tree, not nearly so elegantly decorated, but rather adorned with home-made ornaments, candy-canes, and strings of multi-coloured lights. It always looked a tad out of place in the formal foyer of their home, but Jenny had always thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world. She remembered standing in front of that tree with the overwhelming urge to tear open all of her presents. She'd never been one for patience. Her parents had started a tradition, no doubt to take pity on her, and allowed her to open one gift - the one from Tango, the family cat. It was quite strategic on their art, Jenny thought to herself now, because Tango always bought her a little puzzle or game which would serve to keep her occupied until bed time.

"GIBBS!" shouted a familiar, overly-excited-and-perhaps-a-little-drunk voice, "Director!" Jenny looked over to see Abby waving wildly at them from a table against the wall, partially obscured from view by the giant tree that it sat beside. The Goth girl, who was decked out in a black and red dress, black fish-nets, and black platform boots, ran over and engulfed them both in a hug. Jenny had to suppress a giggle when she saw the reindeer antler headband that the girl wore. Gibbs, however, was more direct.

"What's with the horns, Abs?" he asked, eyeing them sceptically. Each branch of the antlers had a bell glued to it, and a slight jingle could be heard as Abby released them and turned to face Gibbs.

"They're antlers, Gibbs," she corrected, before continuing adamantly "And I'm wearing them because I don't think anyone gives the reindeer enough credit. Everyone at Christmas is all about 'Santa this, Santa that' – but where would Santa be without his reindeer? Still freezing his jolly little ass off at the North Pole instead of delivering presets, that's where! I'm simply representing those poor, unappreciated reindeer who can't speak for themselves." She finished her tirade, then gave them her quirky little smile, and added, "Come on! There's plenty of room at our table!"

Gibbs just shook his head and helped Jenny out of her coat as Abby bobbed back over to the rest of the team, where Tony was doing a passable impression of Jim Carey as 'The Grinch'.

Jenny turned to Jethro, and in a low voice, asked, "She does know that Santa Claus doesn't really..."

"I don't know," he interrupted her, whispering into her ear, "But I'm sure not going to ruin it for her."

Jenny laughed, and then went to join the team at the table as Gibbs checked their coats and made his way up to the bar.

"Good evening sir, and Merry Christmas!" the bartender greeted him with a smile.

"Same to you, although it's a shame you have to work tonight," Gibbs responded amicably, hoping they wouldn't get a call about a crime scene themselves. "Could I get two doubles of your best bourbon, neat?"

"Sure," the man replied, starting to prepare the drinks, "There's nowhere I'd rather be tonight, actually. I think tonight is about the only time damn near everyone in here has a smile on their face."

"Good answer," Gibbs chuckled, handing the man his credit card. "Start me a tab if you don't mind, and put anything that table orders on it." He indicated the corner where Jenny now watched disapprovingly as Tony performed an encore – "the claw", also Jim Carey, and from Liar, Liar if Gibbs remembered correctly. He had to chuckle at the look on Jen's face as he remembered just how much Jim Carey got under her skin. She'd always said it was just something about that _Dumb and Dumber_ movie...

"Yeah, he's pretty good!" the bartender commented, mistaking the source of Gibbs' laughter as he jotted down a few things on the tab and took the card.

"Oh, he certainly is something," Gibbs replied, thanking the man and setting off to the table with the two glasses in hand.

Jenny smiled appreciatively as a three-quarters-full tumbler of what she assumed to be bourbon was set in front of her. She sipped it slowly, savouring the more subtle aspects of flavour that just could not be found in any but the better bottles. The first sip went down deliciously smooth and filled her with a comfortable warmth not unlike the bath tub had done.

"And I thought the stuff we had in my office was good," she said, turning and smiling at Gibbs who had taken a seat right against the wall and now sat surveying the room. She'd known he would choose that chair since it gave him an optimal view of the room, and he never liked to have his back to anyone. His brilliant blue eyes, a smoky grey in the dim light, wandered over her features and settled on her own vibrant green eyes before he responded.

"Only bar I've been to in a while that bothers with this stuff," he finally returned gruffly.

"Most bars probably don't bother when people mostly just get mixed drinks anyway," she agreed. "But then again a lot of people can't stomach straight bourbon anyway."

"It's an acquired taste," he acknowledged, keeping one wary eye on the young man dancing entirely too close to Abby.

Jenny laughed. "Well I would never have bothered to 'acquire' it if it wasn't for you. And now after tonight I won't be able to go back to drinking the cheaper stuff."

"You shouldn't have been drinking the cheap stuff anyway," he growled, but without any real bite.

"I said cheaper, Jethro, not cheap. You know how well I've always done with the "cheap" stuff."

Gibbs chuckled at the memory, and she shot him a half-hearted glare for his efforts.

"What about you two?" Ziva asked, turning suddenly in an effort to include them in whatever conversation she'd been having with Tony and Ducky.

The Israeli girl looked lovely with a black and fold festive dress and her dark curls flowing loosely. The ensemble must have served its intended purpose, because every now and again her dark eyes would sparkle as she caught another young man eying her appreciatively.

"Yes," chimed in Ducky, slightly flushed and feeling exuberant from the Scotch in his own glass, "Do tell! We were just sharing what our favourite Christmas gifts we've ever received have been. Tony got his just last year! A full set of every Magnum episode ever aired!"

"Hours of entertainment," Dinozzo agreed, sipping from his glass of wine. It was a deep red that matched his tie. Jethro just groaned inaudibly, and Jenny tried to hide her giggle in her glass.

"We don't celebrate Christmas, but I did receive a gift at Christmas once. It was my first sniper rifle," Ziva chimed in, wistfully, "Nothing near as nice as what you would have used, Gibbs, but such an elegant weapon compared to our clumsy assault rifles. I know it was the right time of year because I spent that Hanukah in a sniper's nest planning my shot." She paused, then looked at Jenny with an evil grin, "Of course, it could be that massage you got me on boxing day in Cairo!"

"I don't speak Arabic!" Jenny threw up her hands defensively. "How was I supposed to know it was _that_ kind of massage!"

A/N: Okay, another short chapter, but at least it's an update! I promise I'll step it up a notch in the next chapter! ;-)


	4. Chapter 4

Ziva laughed, and both she and Jenny outright refused to explain to Tony just what type of "massage" it was. Tony's raised eyebrow and the way he looked at Ziva indicated just how much he would like to know, and even just what lengths he would go to in order to tease the information out of her. Gibbs hid his smile in his bourbon as he thought that that dress of Ziva's really was serving its intended purpose.

"But really, Director," Ziva said, focusing her sparkling dark eyes on Jenny and subtly turning her body away from Tony, "What was your favourite Christmas gift?"

Without bidding, Jenny recalled a quiet Christmas Eve at the back table of a small restaurant in Paris. She and Gibbs sipping champagne, dancing to a single violinist, and her opening a small wrapped package. She still kept the beautiful necklace it had contained; a single teardrop pearl on a stunning gold chain. It was simple, and classy, and it always seemed to sit in just the right spot regardless of her outfit. She shivered as she thought about Jethro fastening the necklace around her neck and kissing down the length of it...

She was shaken out of her reverie by Jethro's voice. He must have noticed where her mind was taking her, because he was looking at her with a mischievous sparkle in his blue-grey eyes, and he had taken the heat off her by chiming in with his own story.

"I remember one year," he said seriously, "when Kelly was about six years old. She had learned in Sunday school that it wasn't the price of the gift that matters, but the thought behind it. So she wrapped up her favourite My Little Pony doll and gave it to me for Christmas. I carried that pony around for two months everywhere I went in our house. I shipped out the end of February, and before I went I asked her if my pony could join her herd while I was overseas, just so it wouldn't get lonely." A silence fell over the table as Gibbs took a long drink of his bourbon, and no one spoke as they all followed suit. He swirled the remaining liquid in the glass, then raised it again and emptied it, gesturing to the bartender to bring another round over. He cleared his throat, "anyway, Jen, how about you?"

"Mine's easy," she said, not giving Jethro the satisfaction of meeting that mischievous sparkle that had returned to his eyes. Instead, she looked into Ducky's fascinated face. "Jethro, remember when we were undercover in Serbia?" She grinned as she heard him choke on his drink, thinking about a great many incredible nights spent together. "We were undercover working for an elderly woman whose sons had all passed away in wars. She was left alone on her farm, so it wasn't hard to convince her to allow Gibbs and I to work for her in exchange for room and board. Gibbs worked around the farm, and took as many chances as possible to get to town and keep an eye on our target. I worked in the barns and took care of the animals. All the heavy work around the farm was done with draft horses, and that Christmas Eve, we were in the barn all night with one of the mares giving birth."

"She finally foaled just after midnight, Christmas morning," Jethro recalled, smiling softly at her.

"Anastasia let us name the foal, just the cutest little filly," Jen grinned. "We called her Noel."

"Oh! Director, that is such a perfect Christmas horse name!" Abby squealed, having returned from the dance floor just in time to hear the story. Jenny chuckled, bringing her own glass to her lips and meeting Jethro's eyes over top of it as she took a long sip. He still wore a half-smirk that let her know he was still thinking about either those nights in Serbia, or their Christmas together in Paris. She dropped her gaze as she returned her glass to the table. She had too much history with that man. Or not enough. One thing was for sure, it was driving her crazy being so close to him without any of the intimacy they had shared in the past. She just couldn't get over the memory of him holding her on the dance floor, kissing her neck, smiling at her. She shivered and forced her attention back to the table as Abby went on to tell about how her favourite Christmas gift was her first tattoo, which her older brother did for her when she was 16.

At Abby's enthusiastic urging, Ducky finally confessed that his favourite gift was in fact a set of bagpipes he had been given at the age of eight. Of course, once he began the story, he proceeded to regale them with stories of how he started to learn the instrument and tortured his parents with his practicing.

"It sounded distinctly like someone strangling a camel," he confessed with a chuckle.

"Oh!" exclaimed Abby, looking at her Adam's family watch and jumping to her feet, "I have to call a cab and get to the airport! I'm taking the last flight out to Louisiana since our stunning director approved my week's vacation at home." She followed this last by kissing Jenny on the cheek and hugging Gibbs from behind his chair.

"Don't call a cab, Abigail," Ducky protested, "I can take you to the airport now. It's about time I head out anyway. I need to help mother decorate the tree before the family arrives in the morning."

Abby heartily agreed to this proposal, and she and Ducky said their goodbyes and Merry Christmases before hastily grabbing their coats and heading for the parking lot. Ziva stood and followed a very interested young man to the dance floor, prompting Tony to go in search of another drink.

"This isn't so bad, eh Jen?" Jethro asked after a moment of not uncomfortable silence.

"Oh, I suppose I am not entirely miserable," she joked softly, meeting his eyes with a smile. He held her gaze until she blushed and looked away, marvelling at the light that had returned to her eyes this evening. He missed her looking this way, without the stress of the office as a weight upon her shoulders. He was glad that she had genuinely let that go and was enjoying herself. He also enjoyed that she was doing that with him.

"Jethro," she said again after another sip of bourbon to steel her nerves, "could we dance?" He responded as she had figured he would, by meeting her eyes with a single raised eyebrow. But he obediently stood, offered her his arm, and led her out onto the hardwood. The band was doing an admirable imitation of the Trans Siberian Orchestra's Carol of the Bells, and the deep, passionate music had him holding her close in no time. Jenny sighed and enjoyed the close feeling of being pressed against his body again. She knew this was not entirely a good idea, but she also could not convince herself to stop it. The way he held her tore through the gap in time and they were right back in Paris as though nothing had ever gone wrong between them.

"Jenny," he said softly, "if we could go back, would you..."

"No, Jethro," she interrupted. "No, I wouldn't have left. But I don't know if it's because of what I know now about Shannon and Kelly, or because now I know that my job isn't actually good enough to fill the gap left by everything else I'm missing."

"I don't need to know why, Jen. I just wondered if you would do things differently."

"What difference does it make now, Jethro?" she asked softly. "I'm your boss, and we're a long way removed from what we used to be."

Holding her close and dancing to the beautiful Christmas music, he softly kissed her jawline and whispered, "I don't know Jen, it doesn't feel that different." She couldn't help but agree.

A/N: Okay, I know that I fail miserably at updating this story. I didn't actually plan on it taking me three years to get this far, but I have no good excuse except that I haven't been writing much at all lately. Please review and let me know if you have any ideas, although I think I know where I'm taking this! 3 Sarah


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